New Favorite Shoe

Despite the cold temperatures, Robin and I headed for the High Country yesterday. The top of Virginia was characteristically blustery. I've been ramping up my training in preparation for a third run at Way Too Cool in March as well as a third run at Western States in June. In between those two I plan to make a first run at the venerable Miwok 100k.

I had gotten a pair of the Montrail Wildwoods after seeing them for the first time at Mt. Masochist in November. This was their first real test. Grayson Highlands Park has a great combination of wide open grassy balds, rolling single track, rock-strewn double track, and extremely technical ridgelines. Throw in frigid gale-force winds, a little ice, and just enough blowing snow to keep it fun, and you've got all the elements for an adventure run -- and gear trial. We started at Massie Gap and ran a twelve mile loop including the Appalachian and Pine Mountain trails. I added about four miles to head over to Mt. Rogers (VA's highest peak) and back.

When I first got the Wildwoods I was disappointed that the toe box felt so wide. I worried that my feet would slide around inside the shoe making it hard to run on uneven surfaces. I had run shorter and less technical runs with no problems, however, and the shoe was quickly growing on me. I love the smooth and responsive ride these shoes offer. My feet didn't complain about the extra room up front. In fact, I think my little doggies were grateful for some space to finally spread out!

My run yesterday was 2:45, much of that on rocky, frozen, and uneven ground. The Wildwoods felt great throughout, becoming my new favorite shoe. I logged about 2500' of climb, but the heal of the shoe stayed just were it should. I credit this to the flexibility of the midsole. The freedom of movement is well balanced by underfoot protection, though. I've had a tender tarsal (?) since Masochist, and I was stepping on plenty of pointy foot-bending rocks yesterday. The Wildwoods dispersed these forces effectively while still giving me ample feel for the ground. I felt in very good control throughout -- and that's tough for us tall (6'2") guys teetering around technical terrain. I think that must be a credit to the design of the sole, which seems to me pretty rugged without being overly aggressive.

I know these shoes are made to crossover with road running. You would think Montrail had to compromise some trail shoe performance. If this is true, I can't find the corner that's been cut. The Wildwood will be my go-to shoe for trail runs this spring, including Western States.